Veterans Affairs Committee on Dec. 1st, 2022

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

I want to thank all of you for your service, for your commitment to our country, and for coming here to speak to us today. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by what I've just heard. I want to extend my deepest apologies. I'm in shock. I thank you for bringing forward this reality.

Mr. Moncur said something that I've heard from far too many veterans, which is the sense or experience of going to get help from Veterans Affairs and often feeling more like you're arguing with an insurance company than actually working with people who want to see the best for you. I also heard very clearly from testimony that case managers are often the only people you interact with in your role as veterans trying to get help who seem to care.

Could you talk about, first of all, why the relationship with the case manager is so important, and if you have any concerns? We know that when it moves, and it has on the 29th, to PCVRS, not only will you have a case manager but veterans will also be assigned rehab service specialists.

I'm a little confused about how that relationship is going to work. I know that you don't know how that relationship is going to work at this point, but if I could start with you, Mr. Banks, and then we'll move over.

Do you have any concerns about these two roles you have to now work with? Could you talk about why case managers matter?

[Christopher Banks]

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said we don't know what the new role of the service delivery person or rehabilitation service specialist you mentioned is. We don't know what they're going to do. We don't know what their role is going is be. We don't know how it's going to impact it. That in itself is part of the scary part. There's such a big element of the unknown that it's leaving us to just assume that it's going to be more par for the course.

To answer the second question about the importance of case managers, I would say that they're the practitioners. They're the ones who have to look us in the eye. They're the only ones who experience the hardship by our sides.

It's easy for—forgive me—legislators and policy-makers to sit back and say this is the best course of action, but on the ground, that's not the case, and it's the case managers who have to watch us suffer and die.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Thank you.

Go ahead, Ms. Gauthier.

[Christine Gauthier]

Of course, there are.... In 24 years, I have gone through major caseloads and case managers. I had some golden ones. I wouldn't be able to say today whether they were more caring, more dedicated and did more, or whether today they just don't give a shit and they're not implicated.

I had two awesome ones. They suddenly retired the same year and I've been falling through the cracks ever since.

This rehab is a real joke. I already have the staff around for the rehab in Ste. Anne's, for the CGD and TSO. I am lucky enough to live close to that.

They are the service providers. Are they pulling the plug on that as well? Are we supposed to hear this and I'm going to have to start dealing with somebody who's following a model online right now to guide me into what...? It makes no sense.

How has this been able to come to $570 million? How did this happen secretly? It blows me away.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Thank you.

Go ahead, Mr. Moncur.

[Bruce Moncur]

Two weeks ago, the service excellence committee had a meeting about this. This was the first time we'd been briefed on it. Assistant deputy minister Steven Harris told us that, to his knowledge, most case managers were aware of this and that the MAID situation was an isolated case. Four and five days later, we found out through the media that that was all lies, so we had an assistant deputy minister literally lying to veterans' faces five days before the truth came out.

Like I said, it's disheartening, to say the least.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Thank you.

I only have a minute left, so I'm going to come back to you, Mr. Banks, one more time. I apologize for that.

One of the things that I thought was really important... your whole story was incredibly important, and I thank you for sharing it.

I really hope all of you have support after this, because coming out and sharing these really personal stories is such a dedication to serving all veterans. I really, deeply appreciate it.

You talked about your psychologist doing the work to advocate for you, but also to reach out to PCVRS to try to get more information. I'm wondering if you could talk a bit about whether you've heard anything updated. Have they reached out? The last service provider talked about doing an expression of interest.

Has any of that been done, to your knowledge, with the person who's serving you so well?

[Christopher Banks]

I spoke to my psychologist on Tuesday, and she had not received queries that she had put in weeks ago for her other veteran clients.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Thank you.

I believe that's my time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Yes. Thank you.

That brings our time with the second panel to an end.

On behalf of the committee members, I want to thank the witnesses for sharing their stories with us. I realize how much courage that took. I took notes. Your accounts were very powerful. I think all of us have compassion for what you've been through. You are trying to access services, and we can just imagine the toll it takes on those closest to you. We fully understand that. Once we finish our study, we will draft our report.

Thank you again to the witnesses who appeared as individuals, Christopher Banks, retired sergeant, Christine Gauthier, retired corporal, and Bruce Moncur, retired corporal.

I'd also like to thank all of our support staff, the interpreters, the technicians and the clerk.

The meeting is adjourned.